466 – Guest: Salim Mansur – The Fountain Beheaded

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The FountainBeheaded: Is Donald Trump America’s Howard Roark?

That question suggests the symbolic theme behind our discussion with Western University’s associate professor of political science Salim Mansur, who describes Trump as a ‘doer,’ and suggests that Trump’s critics generally fall into the ‘talker’ camp.

We’re all heard the phrases before: “Talk is cheap.” “All Talk. No Action.” “Don’t tell me; show me.” “Small talk from a big mouth.” “Been there; done that. Wasn’t there; talked about that.” and of course, “Those who can, do; Those who can’t, teach.”

In Ayn Rand’s best-seller novel, The Fountainhead, the main character Howard Roark chooses to become the architect of his own fate and destiny. Though his path to greatness – as an architect – may not have been of his own making, his arrival at his chosen destination is the direct consequence of his own determination to take the necessary action to achieve his goal. Along the way, Roark is constantly trashed by the media, the politicians, and the academics – those who Salim would call “the talkers.”

As The Fountainhead ends, we learn that it only took one “doer,” Howard Roark, to overcome all the talkers: “There was only the ocean and the sky and the figure of Howard Roark.”

Some may argue that Donald Trump is just a ‘talker’ like the rest of his critics – especially since it has been Trump’s ‘talking points’ that have been the focus of their criticisms.

But is it possible that all the talking pundits have missed the real motivation behind the much of the media’s outrage against Donald Trump? Is it possible that those who most like to bad-mouth Trump are really envious of Trump? Or worse? – that they just want to pull Trump down to their level?

With Donald Trump as our key talking point (among many others), prepare yourselves for an hour of sophisticated sophistry, as we do everything possible to avoid talking ourselves into the inevitable corner of contradictions, paradoxes, and other incongruities that must be addressed when discussing doers versus talkers. After all, aren’t we just talkers? (Apparently not, according to Salim.)

Given the two final contenders for the highest political office in the United States, we would do well to ask ourselves: Under either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, where will America Be Headed? Will America’s frightening trend of FountainBeheadings simply continue?

These are some heady questions indeed. We ask them because it’s Just Right.